Earlier this month, the U.S. Navy and the Royal Navy said they successfully conducted a proof-of-concept launch of an exercise U.S. Mk 48 Heavyweight Torpedo from an allied uncrewed platform, the Royal Navy's XV Excalibur, at the British Underwater Test & Evaluation Centre (BUTEC) in Scotland.
The milestone, achieved under Project Broadsword and Trial Iron, marks a major operational achievement for AUKUS Pillar 2. The event successfully validated the mechanical, electrical and software integration of a U.S. kinetic payload onto an allied autonomous vessel, proving that allied forces can rapidly achieve weapon interchangeability.
“This successful test marks a historic first for allied undersea warfare,” said Adm. Daryl Caudle, Chief of Naval Operations, in a statement. “Proving that we can seamlessly launch a U.S. heavyweight torpedo from a Royal Navy autonomous underwater vehicle validates our shared vision for true interchangeability. By integrating weapons, payloads, and mission architectures across allied platforms, we are increasing the flexibility, scale, and combat power of our combined forces and ensuring they are ready to meet the strategic demands of tomorrow.”
This rapid-capability initiative directly supports the AUKUS mandate to co-develop and field asymmetric capabilities that bolster collective deterrence across the Pacific and Euro-Atlantic regions. By converting commercial and allied uncrewed undersea hulls into high-end strike assets, the partnership drastically alters the cost-exchange ratio in contested maritime environments.
"BROADSWORD is a great example of how AUKUS Pillar II drives interoperability in across the alliance. Demonstrating the launch of a US torpedo from a UK extra-large unmanned underwater vehicle (XLUUV) is an important early step in developing lethality in our undersea autonomous systems," said Vice Adm. Robert Gaucher, Director, Submarine Programs. “We look forward to continuing to leverage the AUKUS partnership to keep pushing the potential warfighting advantages of unmanned undersea systems.”
Following the successful deployment of the Mk 48 from the XV EXCALIBUR, the Department of the Navy and its international partners will continue follow-on acceleration with Project CUTLASS. Using the Anduril Dive-XL platform, the next phase will tackle advanced payload integration data, command and control architectures, and tactical employment scenarios to further mature uncrewed undersea capabilities.
